Over the last few months, I’ve had several people say things along those lines. It’s really sweet and really encouraging. They want to build me up by pointing out what they see God doing in me. Or sometimes, they’re just blown away by the fact that I’m doing what I’m doing and feel the need to express that.

There is a secret as to how I’m able to give up so much and do potentially scary/uncomfortable things for God. But it actually has nothing to do with who I am. It has nothing to do with what a great or amazing or faithful person I am.

Knowing Jesus

In one of my favorite sermons, Knowing Jesus, Major Ian Thomas describes two cars. The first car is the ultimate rust bucket. It’s probably fifty years old. You can just see this thing driving down the highway and slowly disintegrating as it goes. In fact, when you open the door, it falls off.

If I told you that I was going to drive that car from California to Maine, you would have reason to be impressed with the level of my faith. You’d have reason to be concerned about the level of my faith, even.

But what if it were a new car? One with 650 HP. Fifty MPG. New tires, new everything. A squeaky-clean accident record and no history of mechanical problems.

Would you be so impressed with my faith in this car if I told you I was going to drive from California to Maine in this?

And what was the difference? The car. Because you knew what the car was like, you knew that me thinking it would make it cross-country wasn’t that impressive.

Guys, if we KNEW our God, we wouldn’t be impressed by the faith of men. When we heard about the trust and confidence that others have in Him, our response would be, “Well, DUH.”

Be Impressed with My Jesus

The reason I’m able to do things that seem impressive to others is not because of who I am, but because of who God is. It’s because I know Him.

He is my Provider (Phil. 4:19). He is always with me, and He, the Almighty Creator of the universe, is my Helper (Heb. 13:5-6)! He is constant and unchanging (James 1:17), and He will use everything for my good (Rom. 8:28). He delights to give good gifts (Matt. 7:11), and nothing will ever separate me from His love (Rom. 8:38-39).

And that’s just the beginning! With a God like that, and who is so much more than that even, is it really so impressive for me to take any risk for Him? To do anything uncomfortable for Him? To give up anything for Him?

When you see me, or anyone, do “impressive” things for God, don’t be impressed with us. Be impressed with our God.

And you know what else? That is your secret, too. Your secret to living a life of full surrender to Jesus. Of doing risky or impressive things for God. Of venturing you all for Christ and changing this world for His glory. Know Jesus.

…the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.

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9 thoughts on “Behold My God!”

Hello, friends! I’m shifting my focus to my Bolivia blog for a while. Might have a post or two on Refreshing Spirit, but until May and maybe longer, Olivia in Bolivia is going to be a bigger focus. You’re welcome to join me there! 💙 Jesus’ sweetest blessings!

❤ ❤ I love this so much and it's a powerful sermon! It's true! Why do we look at those having faith, when it is the car, or the chair that gets us where we need to be or holds us up. It is God who guides, protects, and looks over us. Our faith is simply walking forward and trusting Him to keep His word (which He always does!) God continue to be with you and help you make many feats in life, Olivia! GOD BE THE GLORY! GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE!

Thanks! I can’t take credit for the car analogy, though it’s one of my favorites! It came from the sermon I mentioned in this post, “Knowing Jesus” by Major Ian Thomas. It has had a huge impact on my life; I highly recommend it!

You could find it in audio form on websites like sermonindex.net (http://ia802902.us.archive.org/12/items/SERMONINDEX_SID3792/SID3792.mp3), or if you’d like a video (although the video is just audio with a picture of Ian Thomas, haha) I did leave a link to it in the post. 🙂 It’s an older sermon, so you have to adjust to the audio quality a bit to be able to understand it well. I’ve never been able to find a transcript anywhere, but one of my ambitions is to transcribe this sermon myself to make that available for others! Haha 🙂 If you end up really enjoying it, I also love his sermon “A Grain of Wheat”! I hope that “Knowing Jesus” is a blessing to you. 😊